1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transaction degradation processing method for automated transaction apparatus to perform transaction degradation processing for automated transaction apparatus which performs automated transactions according to customer operation, a system for same, and an administration server for same, and in particular relates to a transaction degradation processing method for automated transaction apparatus which makes decisions regarding degraded transactions in response to the state of the automated transaction apparatus, a system for same, and an administration server for same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automated cash transaction apparatus and automated cash advance apparatus used by financial institutions and similar perform various transactions according to customer operation, such as cash deposits and payments, bankbook recording, transfer payments, and transfers between accounts. In recent years, as business locations have diversified and longer business hours have been adopted, modes of use of such automated transaction apparatus have increasingly included single-unit installation in unmanned shops, stations, and convenience stores.
Recent growth of the Internet and demands for automated transaction apparatus entailing lower costs have resulted in the provision of browsers in automated transaction apparatus, so that such automated transaction apparatus is being controlled via the World Wide Web (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-298752).
On the other hand, such automated transaction apparatus has functions for handling cards, bankbooks and other input media, as well as different kinds of cash; and depending on the state of these mechanisms and the state of media and cash within the apparatus, states may occur in which specific transactions cannot be executed. In such cases, suspension of operation of the apparatus itself is not advisable, and it is necessary to identify and eliminate transactions for which, due to the above state, the apparatus cannot execute, and to continue apparatus operation to perform transactions which can be executed. This procedure is called transaction degradation.
For example, transaction degradation during certain hours and during weekdays or holidays may be performed for transactions which automated transaction apparatus is capable of executing, or transaction degradation may be performed as a consequence of the state of a unit installed in automated transaction apparatus (a cash unit, card unit, or similar), or due to the state of media.
Such transaction degradation processing is all controlled by a program incorporated within the automated transaction apparatus. When there is a “degradation” judgment by this program, transaction keys are erased and transactions are disabled by the program which displays the customer operation portion of the automated transaction apparatus.
Such conventional transaction degradation control is all performed by a program within the automated transaction apparatus, and so the program must be installed to all of the related automated transaction apparatus.
Further, transaction degradation conditions relating to hours of operation, weekdays and holidays are obtained from each bank host connected to the automated transaction apparatus, and so must be acquired from hosts for all of the automated transaction apparatus installations. Consequently communication costs are expected to be high.
Further, due to changes in the specifications of bank operations, the internal program must be modified for all automatic transaction apparatus installations in order to add transaction services and change degradation conditions, so that maintenance is difficult.